Light of Darkness
by silverblade1999
Summary: Darkness. The eerie, splash of black that taints your imagination for the briefest moments at the mention. In everyone's heart, it does no good. Yet, what is destiny's game this time, for now she just became a pawn in a middle of a fierce game of chess, working for the good when her element is of the purest of evil? What horrific secret hides within her, waiting for her to uncover?
1. Memories

**Helooooo, peeps. Something to say: I don't own Ninjago. There now, good bye, enjoy. **

* * *

_Nightmares- It is always under your desire. You just don't know it._

-Unknown

* * *

_"Give me the ball!" The words formed into a murderous clash in my heart, a silent warning that let the consequences flash in my mind unwillingly. I glared at the boy that towered creepily over me like a tower, his eyes flashing with treacherous rage and clutched the shiny red ball tightly around me like it was for life. _

_"NO!" The scream came out in a definite tone, free of the fear that kept stirring in my stomach. _

_"I said give me the ball or I'm gonna hit you!" _

_"I SAID NO!" I screamed, and unleashed a kick as fast as I can, sending a huge effort in his shins, and he cried in pain, backing down and attempting to stable himself with one leg as he cradled the other. _

_"KAI!" _

_That miraculous shout froze the boy in front of me, and he barred his teeth at me, hungering for revenge and watched as a young girl, three years older than me with hair as black as mine, cut into Chinese bangs, ran to my side and placed a gentle hand on me, her face with worried features. _

_"Are you okay, Erica?" She whispered, and I nodded, tears of relief started to well in my eyes as she gave me a protective, warm hug.  
"Brother Kai wants the ball." I whispered in a broken tone as she drew back. Nya looked down at the shiny new ball that I got from my parents yesterday, for the Buddha's ceremony. After knowing the situation, she spun around, facing her own brother, gripping fists. _

_"She's five years old, Kai." Nya said calmly, but her momentum of her breath was dangerous. "Leave her alone." _

_"I just want the ball! How hard is it, Nya? When would you understand me?" The spiky haired brunette hissed. _

_"When you start to respect!" Nya retorted, and turned back to me, before ruffling my slightly wavy hair, her lips curving back into a warm, assuring smile that made a calm aura glow around her, and I smiled too, the last of the tears slipping down my face. _

_Kai growled, and turned, running back to the house, disappearing into the horizon of short wooden houses, the sun already setting, turning the sky into a midsummer purple, the sky of twilight dawning upon the original brilliant blue. _

_"Don't worry, Erri. Everything's absolutely fine now." Nya whispered, patting me. _

_I sniffed, the scene of him bullying me still flashing in front of me, torturous and still plunging into my mind like waves of darkness. _

_Nya looked at my ball, and looked at the sky, hesitation in her eyes. The sky was starting to darken from violet to a calm deep sapphire blue, specks of light surfacing from the blue blanket, the full moon unraveling like a cloth uncovered from a gleaming pearl, signaling the night was approaching. Yet I wasn't planning to go back. _

_I tugged my foster sister's shirt's edge. "Sister Nya, can you sit with me?"_

_"Ah?" She turned to me, her face frozen in confusion. _

_"I wanna watch the full moon. Mom says it's beautiful."  
For a moment, she looked down at me wordlessly, and finally broke it with a smile, before nodding. "It is beautiful. Come, let's sit on the cliff and enjoy the night. Then we get to go back to your mother and we get to eat sausages." _

_"Sausages!" I lit up, my stomach growling at the mention of my favorite food. Getting the luxury of eating meat was rare. Our family wasn't very rich, with my mom working as a pharmacist for the village and my dad as a builder. But we were happy. We get to sleep in proper beds. We get to eat fully everyday. I get love from Nya everyday. _

_Nya nodded. "Yes, sausages. But now, didn't you want to enjoy the moonlight?"  
"Yes!" I nodded and grinned, before leaning on Nya as we traveled into the embrace of the moonlight. We continued for a few moments before she turned back, her eyes sparkling affectionately at me. _

_"Erica?" _

_"Yes, sister Nya?" _

_"Remember, I love you." The words melted into my heart like warm syrup, and a thrilled gleam of happiness surged into my veins. _

_"I love you too, Sister." _

* * *

**I looked back. **

My speed was of nothing for the situation.

He's catching up.

Faster... faster...

My breath was already snatched by panic, my heart racing in a wild pace.

My veins leadened, like they here not of use anymore. No longer able to pump blood to my heart.

My legs had been pressed with heat so much that it felt like it was twice the weight.

Yet there was no way of stopping.

The voice had faltered from me long ago, my voice no longer a tool to my defense.

Finally, his monstrous grasp seized my shoulders, and I was pinned to the hallway wall. The remaining of my energy quickly leaked out as I made the desperate attempt to thrash in my position, before surrendering silently, letting my body relax.

'Well, lookie lookie there, a new student.'

I groaned. So much for a happy first day of entering high school.

The bully, his blond hair mowed to a military shave, made his face look like a misshapen rectangular. The emerald eyes of his was completely shaded with the need of violence. His massive hands, like they were forged to the state of steel, was grabbing my yellow jacket collar with a iron grip. His body a state of a athlete, so terrifying I had to gulp.

All I did was unintentionally annoy him by stepping on his shoe laces and made him smash his face to the ground. It was, supposedly, his fault that he didn't tie his shoelaces up, and suddenly all the blood of blame were spat on me with a growling face.

Okay, fine, I have a fault here too, for me being foolishly careless that I didn't notice I was stamping on a big bully's sneaker shoelaces. Of all the people's shoelaces I can stamp on.

I can hear the murmurs breaking the hushed, fearing silence that hung when another victim of this guy got held up again. I watched as he still held me to the collar like a mother cat biting on a little kitten's neck, and brought me to the locker hallway. As soon as he did, he scanned for mine, the shiny new blue locker that was smack in the middle of it all, with my name printed neatly on the tag that solely decorated it.

A wave of realization flushed into my mind, planting panic into my mind, the instincts finally screaming my punishment into my mind.

I wanted to scream, but as I feared, no sound came out. I wanted to thrash, but no energy was left to support me.

As he tore the lock open, he smashed me into the locker, and slammed it back on. "Happy hiding, loser!" He sneered, before slamming the door shut, banishing all light except a few rays seeping from the edges of the door, and I heard a new lock clicking back.

I muttered a curse as I shifted, tried to make some space in. Thank god the locker was wide enough to arouse only the smallest pinch of my claustrophobic personality, or else I would've been dead panicking here, inside. My heart soothed back to a slightly calm rhythm, and I breathed a long sigh of relief.

At least I'm not being shoved into the principal's office.

I sighed. I wonder if every student here has the same first day of school experience, then my soul flitted through slits of memories and comparisons as I stood still in my locker.

I rested my head on my hand, and let out a exasperated sigh. This is exactly according to the 'adventures' the stars have when they hit high school in the TV shows. Getting dumped, being so unpopular, and suddenly some miraculous light pulls them out of the hall of shame and became the King/Queen of the high school. Well, I chuckled, this might happen to me, but I don't think the King/Queen thing works for me.

I was supposed to be prepared for this. It's my first day of high school, the first day of my freaking teenage. Well, fine, not really but still... being dumped the moment I came isn't the best thing that can happen to a new student.

Now I have to just wait until someone is willing to unlock the new lock and being me out...

It didn't take me long, because after a few minutes, the noise was filling the locker hall again, and the lights that supplied my sight was temporarily blocked, attracting my sudden attention, when there was a few bangs, before I can see a little again, and the door yanked open, revealing a hunched lady in janitor uniform staring at me like I'm some kind of animal still alive in the butcher shop dangling on one of the hoops, only that she didn't scream.

Slowly, I just averted my gaze from her to break the awkward moment, and crept out of the locker slowly, like I was going out of a police car.

Finally, I thanked the woman, and she nodded blankly, before I ran to the next class that I'm probably missing: Physics.

Thank god the janitor freed me right before the class starts, and I quickly slipped into a empty seat close to the window, and pressed my raven black hair down from the incident, the sudden bully moment scrolling down into my mind, before turning my eyes to the sight beyond the window, filled with tress and grass, the warm, comforting sunlight slipping through the gaps the emerald leaves left out, like yellow banners being shot into the ground from the sky, and peaceful other objects that made me smile.

Soon, I'll be out there, playing among the creatures of nature, restoring my fed up personality in this stuffy environment. The very thought of it had placed a small smile on my lips, so assuring, so promising. Mother Nature is always promising. Not like mine and hers...

My thoughts were shattered by the sudden clatter of a pair of high heels hitting the ground in a fast pace, and I froze, ready to get up and greet the teacher, my hands slipping to the head of the back supporter.

As the clattering grew louder and the students around me slowly fell into a silence, a woman in a tight bun and bright blue jacket with a ruffly cyan skirt, and a yellow high collared shirt. Her eyes were willowy grey, her lips a thin cranberry pink, a angled face, a pointed nose. Her personality was so far still unpredictable, even by her looks.

"Hello, class." She said in a sweet voice, and I softened, my hands extracting from the chair, and I settled down. "Well, I see everyone's having a good day. My name is Mrs Raynee, it's a pleasure to teach you guys." Her smile only grew wider, honeysweet. Instantly favoriting her, and I smiled back, even though I knew she wouldn't acknowledge it. "I can see so many new faces here. Well, congratulations, it's your first day of high school! How are you feeling?"

"I feel old." Someone among the students joked, and the whole class erupted into giggles and chuckles. Even the teacher was grinning, her eyes closed. "Well, get used to that right now, because that makes me feel older."

We laughed again, and the atmosphere was growing lively. I can feel one by one, the hearts were shaded with light from the dust of dullness. I grinned as well, and buried my mouth in my hands.

"Ah, let's start with a small introduction from everyone." She smiled, and scanned the room rapidly. Finally, she pointed to the girl across me a few tables, leaning on the wall across the window. "You start first, sweetie." She purred.

The girl stood up. Her hair was spiky and gracefully straight, the gleams of her hair that streaked under the sunlight and swayed. I was surprised she seemed shorter compared to the average height of all of us, but none of us seem to bother to spare a mean snicker. She wore a grey cotton sweater that seem a few sizes too big for her, but she managed to make it look just right on her. Jeans, sneakers, nothing flashy that caught anyone's eye.

"My name is Taryn McCallister. Nice to meet you all." After that soft speech, she sat down, and slumped her hand on her face, leaning her body towards the wall. Whispers started to spark a sea filled with murmurs around the class like wildfire.

Everyone knows Taryn McCallister. Who doesn't? She's the ever famous daughter of Mother Doomsday, the bestselling comic in Ninjago City. The little genius of the family, there was rumors she can invent things that exist only in scientists's dreams. There was nothing laughable about Taryn making this far, a position in high school when she was supposed to still be in elementary school when the rumors could be true.

After the teacher giving a few moments for the students to register this, she proceeded to the boy next to her. Slowly, the wave moved, and finally, the whole class's attention was turned to me. As I stood up, the sea of eyes followed as well, and I spoke softly. "Hello. I'm Erica Chandra Xeathene. Nice to meet you."

As I sat down, the crowd whispered again, some exchanging smirks, some nudging each other like there was some kind of rumor stirring around here. I bit my lip, my memories streaming to the latest moment where I was shoved into a locker. Ignoring the situation this time, my teacher proceeded to the next person, then the other, and slowly, I lost the attention towards the crowd, drifting back into my painful flashbacks...

_"I need to tell you all something." My mom rose from the table which contained me and my dad. Curiosity aroused like a flower's petals shriveling open, a star starting to twinkle in the night as I stared her taking a sip of hot tea. _

_"My boss had promoted me. I have a new job in the city." At first my mood was enlightened, for the hope for a better environment for all of us grew. _

_Dad was overjoyed, clapping his massive hands, roughened from the work done as a builder, and rose to place a kiss on his wife's forehead. "Congratulations, love." he whispered. Erica has now a bright future." His smile stretched from ear to ear. _

_"Yes, she would, but..." She looked at me, her sudden depressed face made me confused all over again. "Why, mama?"_

_"Since he's desperate and proud of it, he decided to borrow me a suite in the flats until further notice, and Erica gets a scholarship for Ninjago Elementary School. That means..."_

_Ever since I was three, it was clear that I was gifted with the speed of thinking. Mom says I was able to think out of the box very quickly, but I don't really know what it means. Now, I wished I didn't have that talent. _

_"Mama...we're... leaving?" _

_"Yes."_

_"But what about Nya?" _

_"I'm sorry, Erica."_

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**Mmmmph, I don't think I like this. Apologies for any terrible grammar. *kneels in extreme apology.***

**If you feel interested, please review, fave, whatever crap for more stuff in the next chappie.**

**P.S Taryn McCallister isn't mine. She's a OC from another author from a collaboration I'm in. I'm just adding her in. XD **


	2. Bully, Bullied and Bystander

"NO!" I snapped my eyes open, forcing my soul to retreat from the painful moment, my fists gripping like it was for life. Instantly I can feel every pair of eye landing on me again, this time amusement and bewilderment sparking in their eyes. Seconds after the realization that I had spoken the word 'no' aloud filled me with humiliation, my soul and sound retreated to a corner as my face started to glow bright red.

There was a few more strings of whisper that builded the fire which burned beneath my cheeks, and after that awkward moment passed, the real face of laughter unmasked in the class, sending punches and slaps on my face and heart.

Yet I wasn't the only one having the cheek a shade of ripe tomato red. There was a girl, blonde and scrawny, her gentle, innocent face easily telling that she was a shy person, stood smack in the center of the class, her face burning brightly like a metal heated, her lips withdrew into her mouth, bitten.

Apparently she must've been asking a question to the class, and my consciousness rose from my nightmares of the memories just in time to slap that word on her face, in front of the whole class. My actions pressed on me, and I gritted my teeth in shock that I didn't just humiliated myself, I humiliated the girl. They weren't laughing just at me, they were laughing at her, because of me.

Guilt added more weight to the burning heart in my body, crushing it to powder as I covered my face with one hand, slumping to the wall with the feeling scorching in my body.

What can possibly go right for this day?

The teacher quickly waved the laughter off with a kind reminder of the slipping time, and we continued with the introduction, but the remains of the amusement was lingering around, the giggles and whispers directed at both me and the girl.

I stayed firm and stiff throughout the whole session, but I didn't dare to look at the girl, to know how I hurt her. Finally the shrill ringing of the bell that pierced my ears released us after the last of the students introduced themselves.

"Alright, now all of you know each other, it would certainly be much more of a warmer society!" The teacher in front of me clapped her hands together, her teeth flashing to give a flashy grin. "Thank you, class!"

I spared a glance at my timetable as we streamed out of the class like smoke pouring out of a chimney, returning into the ever crowded hallway of lockers and teenages. English next, by...

"Mrs Titania Welzhuchonn Ulara." I pronounced it aloud and slow, my mind sparking with a little interest and I giggled at the oddness of the name. But my moment of happiness was cut by a sound of strength pushing a body towards the locker, and the gasp of pain made me turn.

There it was, a boy from the Physics class, bold and tough, like a massive wall, slammed the girl that I humiliated to a locker, sneering.

"Well, nice to meet you all, my name is Carolyn Snow. How are you?" He mimicked her voice, and everyone around him, possibly his gang, screamed 'NO!'. The coldness washed over me silently as I watched them repeating that moment again.

The scream turned into a chuckle, and the poor girl's face grew so red I felt like a spear just charged into my heart. My heart couldn't bear the weight, and collapsed, hurling itself into endless nothingness as my mind started to rummage around for a solution to this.

Everyone started to turn to me, and the chuckle started again, first as a whisper, before it turned into a roar of laughter.

"C'mon, NO!" One of them turned to me, chuckling, patting my back. I stood there, wordless, feeling the heat and cold stirring in me, my teeth still gritting.

He was making me bully her.

I looked at her, and we locked gaze, her emerald eyes lying on me, somehow sparking with anger, pure, flickering anger.

It wasn't uncommon.

The whole crowd silenced, waiting for me to speak.

If I bully her, I was joining forces with all of the people around me. That means I agree with them, able to be friends with them. It was a lifetime decision of my high school life.

I looked at the girl, and back at the people that was waiting for my cue.  
"Stop this." I whispered, and the boy withdrew his hand from me, looking at me with halted fun."What did cha say?"

"I said stop this. This is stupid. Leave her alone." I suddenly turned into a hiss, and face him, my face gleaming with a face I had never gave before.

"Hey, you started this thing!"

"I didn't mean to humiliate her. I didn't mean to harm anyone's feelings. Now just back off." I murmured, shoved a hand to the girl and and walked off into the hallway, leaving the the lively crowd that was left wordless behind me.

"Leave me alone!" The girl threw my hands off her, her eyes filled with hatred.

"Do you want to be tortured even more in the crowd?" I questioned, shooting a look at her. She crossed her arms. "I'd rather be in the crowd than be with you." She growled, and I widened my eyes and she shoved me back with a attempt of her strength.

I cleared my throat, although my heart was already pricked with hurt. "Look, I swear, I wasn't screaming no for that."

No answer, only the murmurs behind me stayed distant, and our footsteps making contact with the tiles. "Please, listen to me. I didn't know about it, I was dazed, I didn't even know you asked a question."

"Who would scream no in the middle of a class introduction?" The girl turned back, her lips pursed.

"I-" The truth refused to come out of my mouth. Could I just tell her it was a flashback? Was it enough, and will she believe me?

"Well?" She crossed her arms.

Does it sound realistic at all?

"I..." I cleared my throat. "I had bad memory incoming."

"Oh yeah?" She glared at me, and I knew that the anger had clouded her wisdom. "Well, prove that."

"How am I supposed to prove a memory incoming?"

"How are you supposed to make me believe that you had a 'bad memory incoming'?"

For a moment my tongue was locked. Then when I was given back the ability to speak, there was no terms to debate back. She had tangled the logic of the conversation, and before I can say something that could at least hang on to the confusion in my mind, she ran off, leaving me alone.

* * *

The final bell of the day that squirmed into the teen's soul and told them they were free, and they rose, hauling their bags up and caught back with the latest gossip, the sounds filling up the room. Still troubled by Carolyn, I got up uncomfortably and fetched my glasses from my locker, put them on and ran to the car park, where my mom was waiting in a red Honda.

When I got in, I was crammed with questions, which wasn't uncommon.

"How was High school?"

"Did you make any friends?"

"Was the food hygenic?

"Are the teachers good?"

"Was the class hard?"

"Did you eat enough carbohydrate?"

"Did the magic kiss work?"

I slumped my head on the seat in front of me, not wanting to ruin her golden mood of crazy grinning and bright teeth flashing, burning in thrill about her miserable litter daughter's first day of high school. Trust me, her bad mood isn't pretty. "Fine. the school was fine. Everything was fine." The words came hard tumbling out, and more guilt stabbed holes my heart.

"Oh, i'm so proud of you my dear." I can hear her hysterical sniff coming out, and prayed she wasn't applying her mascara. "You're so lucky you're in a school for no bullies."

I looked up, surprised she would say that, but it was too late to change my answer.

But there was one truth.

That this crap wouldn't happen if she didn't move us here, move us away...

* * *

_I felt as if my soul just shriveled up and died._

_Even my body died for a second. _

_"We're... leaving?" I stammered, my heart empty. _

_"Yes." _

_"How long?"_

_She looked down at the floor. "Probably forever."_

_"W-When are w-w-we leaving?" I stammered, like I was just dug out of a chunk of ice. _

_"Tomorrow sunrise." Mom's final words clanged the conversation to a end. _

_That took a few seconds for that two words to sink into my mind, like a stone thrown from a high cliff slapping cold tar beneath. The light of happiness was snuffed out, immediately, like a fire being stamped out._

_"NO!" The shock faded, replaced by a growing fire of anger that exploded, racing down my lungs and my empty heart, searing off the instincts in my mind. For a moment, I thought something dark inside me washed up, and my field of vision blacked for a moment, before clearing again. _

_"NO NO NO NO NO!" _

_My dad stood up slowly, watching me in horror that gleamed brightly in his emerald orbs. "Darling, you eyes-"_

_"She's mad, Arthur." My mom stood up, as if she knew what was happening. Dad shook his head, and placed a rough hand on his forehead to calm himself down. "Erica, I'm sorry, but it's for the best of us. Think about what we can have. Sausages everyday. Better school. And maybe a better friend for you." _

_"NOBODY CAN REPLACE SISTER NYA!" I sobbed, and ran away, far to Nya's house, into the silent carpet of the night that illuminated my path, into the embrace of the chilly night wind. _

_My foster sister was in for the shock of her life when I broke into her father's blacksmith workshop and ran to the family, who was busy eating their dinner in solemn silence and grabbed her leg, before hugging it and stayed there._

_"I don't wanna go. I don't wanna go." I muttered, tightening my grip on her even more like it was for life, not caring if her leg blood circulation was stopping. As I can feel her warm, familiar skin pressing on me, and the fire in me seared, leaving smoke wandering inside my soul, and the tears couldn't bear lying in my eyes, beginning to slip onto my baby fat cheeks. _

_"What happened, Erri?" She said softly, stroking my hair as if she was calming the wild spirit inside down. "Tell me." _

_"I don't wanna leave Sister Nya. Don't care. Don't want sausages. Don't wanna go move to city." My voice was babbling simply like a retarded man, but it explained as best as I can with the broken heart and voice of mine. Nya suddenly froze, and pulled me out of her leg. _

_"Are you serious?" She whispered, and I bobbed my head slowly although every moment ached, the tears still leaking. _

_"Mom wants me to. Don't wanna go. Don't wanna go." I murmured, clutching my sister's hand that lowered. The tone was cracked, broken, hopeless, torn. I had never cried this desperate before. It was as if I was glued to Heaven for all this while and suddenly sent to Hell, taking everything for granted. _

_Mom's footsteps were starting to come into the audible field, clanking against the wooden timber floor which creaked and groaned, and I felt Nya's gaze tear from me, but I didn't care to look up. I looked down, enjoying the silent moments of forced oblivion, trying to slow my racing heartbeat and the blood to stop boiling. But it was all in vain. What can I do if I was leaving now? _

_Why didn't mom at least let me say goodbye to her...?_

_I thought the waves of despair hitting my heart again and again would keep me awake, but I was wrong. As the conversation dragged by, my soul slowly lost grip on my body, and soon, I was falling into emptiness. _

_I woke up, next day, without Nya, in the car, on the way into the city._

* * *

I looked up from my seat, tears piercing again, watching as the car swerved through the empty streets of IceLanders, the dim sunlight still quietly filtering from the car window, laying the warm layer of it on my jacket. I placed my hands across my chest, and dipped by head, before weeping silently, not even caring to take off my glasses.

The scar that was first appeared on my heart eight years ago, pained again.

* * *

**I WAS HALFWAY WRITING THIS AND DIDN'T SAVE AND I ACCIDENTALLY REFRESHED IT AND I HAD TO WRITE IT AGAIN THEN MY FRIEND QUITTED THE GOOGLE CHROME AS A JOKE AND I HAD TO WRITE IT AGAIN **

**Moral: After every word you write, you press the save button.**


	3. Why I love gym

**Sorry guys for the late update. I went back to hometown for grandpa's bday and was dead in writing for a while. I KNOW, IT'S LONG AND BORING, AND I HAVEN'T EVEN GOTTEN TO THE POINT WHERE THE ACTION IS GONNA START. I KNOW. Just... bear with me if you want to... I'm just trying my best to introduce the characters and the personalities. :/ I drag stuff. **

* * *

I knew yesterday was so far the most torturous day, even though I wasn't the one hurt. Not physically, there is.

But I couldn't pray that today I won't be hurt. Again.

Because it would never happen.

Because it's gym.

"Hey, you there! That Snow White!"

I turned around, not sure if that was a compliment or a word to stab my self esteem.

To my horrification, what met my eyes was a group of buff boys standing a few meters afar, each of their hands was holding basketballs, some of them tossing to midair and landing them with one finger, a mini gymnastic performance. But despite all of the impressive moves, all of them carried something filled with malice and naught in their eyes.

Which were all directed, greedily, at me.

A wave of realization mashed into my soul like a weight slamming onto me, and my face went from pale to paler, and the gravity that pulled my weight to the ground suddenly let go.

"Think fast!"

Before I know it, I was drowned in the rain of red balls cannoning at me like a tidal wave of water, unable to use my reflexes, and mild pain shooting everywhere around my body. My heart grew into a helpless bird in a cage, threatened by treacherous needles if it dared to budge. It went on continuously, and I was starting to think how in the world they got so many balls in that basket.

Soon, my balance was shoved off, and needles charged up to pierce my spine as I hit the floor. I gritted my teeth, shoving off a few basketballs out of my body as I struggled to get up.

"Aw, was that painful, slow thinker?" One of them sneered. Then I recognized him as the first bully I've ever met in high school, the military haircut and weird shape for a head brushing my memory lightly. I bit my lip, forcing the heat inside me that was creeping up to retreat, but my fists still gripped.

"No. It was the most perfect sensation I've ever felt." I answered sarcastically, just in time for the gym teacher to call off the boys, but it improved nothing, because he called in a volleyball match. I had to gulp when I was being pushed into a group filled with people that look like they were born for this gosh darn volleyball fight. Even the girls look like they're really to kill someone with the volleyballs. All of them must've undergone some weird transformation by a sporty fairy godmother.

Suddenly I felt like I just shrunk into this tiny spot where I was barely noticed among the team as the game was seconds to starting. When it did, my arms just got weaker.

The girl with dirty blond hair tied into a pony tail served the ball, expertly lifting the ball with one hand and whacked it like a hammer when it came to mid air, letting it fly across the net. A bald boy did a graceful leap and smashed the ball back, making me whimper in the inside. One of the boys tossed it back with a brutal whip. The ball spiraled its way to me and I lost my ability to breathe, only to be saved by another girl lunging forward to hit the ball back.

Soon, someone from the other team had thrown the ball to far away, and it landed on the basket ball field a few meters away. There was laughter swelling in, then there was burst of cheers.

I cheered too, but I hope they would cheer for someone who can miss a ball too.

Soon the ball was flying across this and there like canon balls rapidly firing at each other, except in a more vicious way. My head was swinging back and forth like a continuous shake of the head. But the good news was that I'm still away from harm. Too bad it can't stay that way.

"Hey, there, catch!"

I blinked out of my dazed mind, my eyes slowly focusing on the approaching object that was looming in front of my face. When I realized it was the moment I dreaded for the whole match, I let out a yelp before desperately wringing my hands to bounce the ball off me like some kind of girl defending itself from a insect. It boinked to the floor, tumbling through the net. Complaints rose, making me curse myself as the rage and sheepishness spiraled around my heart like a lian circling a sheep before the moment of death.

"What the heck!"

"C'mon, man, seriously?"

"What in the world are you doing?"

"Sorry." I mumbled, getting the ball back into my fingers and turned to them.

"Unfortunately, it's your turn to serve." the Captain, a slender girl with platinum blond hair half glared at me with her startling icy blue eyes.

"What!?" I blurted, my jaw dropped open like a nutcracker. "B-B-but-"

"Just do it! We don't have much time!" That sealed away my right to argue, and I could only drag myself to the serving position, nightmares of how I would humiliate myself haunted my imagination. As I grabbed the ball firmly in my palm, I threw it up awkwardly, resulting a small jump on my hand only. Then I tried to slap it, but it already landed on the ground in front of me.

I looked at the others for a glare, but the coach blew that annoying voice out again.

"She has three chances. One chance out, another two more chances." He explained, and I grabbed the ball, a few specks of hope and self motivation illuminating my soul, and I forced a smile upon my lips.

Bringing the ball to midair again, I balled my hand into a fist, and slammed the ball, throwing it into midair. Every pair of eyes followed the spiraling ball, then watched, as it bounced into the net, then tumbled back.

My teammates looked downed, but there was still another chance. Biting my lip harder this time, I brought the ball back to my grasp. _Serious, Erica, serious..._

At the third time, I hit the ball so hard it smashed into a guy instead of throwing it through the massive net that rose like a wall. I swore, I think he would cough up blood if I hit any more harder. Everyone looked at me as they rushed to him, and the coach sighed at me, giving me a 'Sorry kid, I have no hope on you anymore' look, and dragged the member out.

Now I get another blame for letting them loose a team member. A good one.

When the problem was finally settled, we resumed the game, but the situation was no better for this team. Now they found a weak point, I'm utterly doomed.

Thank the gods that my teammates realized that problem too, because they started to act like a protective barrier in front of me, catching the shots and throwing them back. But that didn't last forever too, and soon, there was a ball hurtling towards me like a meteor, and the members around me were too far to get to me. Somehow this stupid, me who got pampered with protection didn't seem to know how to defend myself again.

My hands somehow got locked to my body, not able to block it, although my mind was screaming 'BLOCK IT! FREAKING BLOCK IT FOR GOD'S SAKE WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU DOING'

It grew bigger, and bigger...

SMACK!

Pain shot into my cheek and pushed me down to the floor for the second time, the volleyball bouncing up, and the coach blew that high pitched whistle again, signaling a foul on the game. I dragged the moan that was tumbling off my lips as I finally gathered the strength to bounce back to my knees, my eyes half closed from the impact.

"Are you okay?" I can hear the coach rushing to me in squeaky steps through the gleaming gym floor, but I waved a stop to it and struggled to catch a breath, my hand tenderly pressed against the wounded cheek for a while, before faking a thin smile.

"It's okay. I'll go back into the match." I whispered.

"Are you sure?" One of the opponents from the other team sneered, her eyes sparked with emerald malice, her lips curving into a smile. "'Cause I don't think your team needs you, Woobly Arms."

My new nickname immediately attracted lots of giggles and nods of agreements, adding a shade of burning red to my cheeks. The coach silenced the team with a glare, and looked at me. "Are you sure you want to go back, Erica? Your cheeks are starting to let the bruise come out."

I sighed, looking back at my team, which was letting out a unknown emotion that suddenly made me feel useless. True, I was the black sheep in the team. I can't even get a volleyball shot straight.

"Okay, I'll go rest." I mumbled, and let the coach direct me to a bench.

I'm the worst human being in the world.

* * *

Lunch, as usual, I sat alone, my eyes laying on the lunch sack my mom packed for me with a gleeful spirit with a fear of what unpredictable, nasty surprise that will lie beneath. At least I had bargained with her to not pack me brocoli for lunch. With a trembling hand, I reached a hand to open the container, my heart heavy with praying, before a voice froze my actions.

"Tough time at gym, right?" The cheerful voice was easily predicted coming from a girl, casual and friendly. I looked up, letting myself come face to face with a girl. The first thing that attracted my attention was her disheveled mess of auburn locks, then I moved to her face, sharp and a splash of tan, a pair of bright emerald eyes that shone as brightly as my sky blue ones, freckles dotting her cheeks, making her look prettier, and a smiling lips that applied a layer of lip gloss. Her attire was a sweet combination of apple and denim, a long sleeved denim jacket and apple green shirt, then a apple red min skirt.

For a moment, I had no words to entertain her and add a little oil to the conversation. When she see no reaction from me, she continued.

"Hey. My name is Megan. Nice to meet you."

With that, she slipped into a empty seat beside me with her tray plopped onto the table with a clatter, and offered a sweet smile as she rested her head with the back of her hand, slumping to the right side.

"I'm Erica. Nice to meet you too." I suppressed a smile, before looking down, and opened my lunch package. There was a note with a lip kiss print on it, hastily scribbled with the words _'Lots of love and kisses from your honey mommy!'_

I don't know what in the world is going on in her mind.

I looked down, and saw a decent lunch: carrot sticks and a charcoal bread sprinkled with organic seeds, and little bit of rice. I breathed a sigh of relief, my wish of not having anything related to brocoli just coming true. Megan looked down at my note, and I can see she was trying her best to hide her giggle, the air in her cheeks expanding but her lips pressed in, preventing anything from spilling.

"Caring mom you have." She commented, and I rolled my eyes lightly. "Yeah, I know. Lucky me."

"I'm half serious. I mean, how many percentage of the moms around the world will care so much for her daughter? And even write a note with so much love in it?" She gave a half smile, and let the words process into my mind.

I bit a carrot stick, smiling lightly. "Yeah, you have a point."

We ate our lunch in silence for a few minutes, before she let out a topic of conversation again. "So you're not interested in talking about gym?"

I gave her a look, and she immediately waved her hands for a attempt of dismissal of a misunderstatement. "I'm just trying to confirm, nothing else!" She stated, and I smiled. "Nah, it's fine. I'm used to this bullying thing anyways. But primary was nice, until sixth grade my death fate started." I said sarcastically, getting a bite on my charcoal bread.

"Yeah, I know how that feels." She looked back at nothing, snorting, as if she was recalling some memories with exasperation. "Primary six sucks."

"You were there in gym too." I turned the topic back to it's original, and she looked at me. "Yeah. I'm one of the people who was in the opposite team. Saw you struggling."

"How did you guys get so athletic over the summer break?" I protested, and she smiled. "Maybe we got scared of dodge balls and started training to avoid getting killed." She giggled, and I mused over that answer. "Mm. Make sense." _Then I'm the one who's lazy to train. _

"You know," she started, staring at her unfinished coke. "You're not the only one bullied here. You're not alone."

I looked up. "And you're implying?"

"You don't have to be alone. We have a spare seat for you." She offered me a smile. "Meet me tomorrow at the Physics class after break. I'll introduce you to Bella and Rachel. They are awesome."

I smiled, gratitude shining in my eyes. "Thank you." Thrill and a ray of hope expanded to a miraculous spotlight that shone onto my dark figure, lightening my heart with joy.

"Hey, no problem." She smiled. "What cha having next?"

I thought for a while, flipping through the schedule that was burnt into my mind, in case for emergencies. "Maths."

"Sweet. Then we're in the same class." She gave a grin, which only made my smile broaden.

As we walked to class, we exchanged a few conversations about ourselves, how we grew up, our hobbies, the basic stuff to break ice. Even though it was awkward, it seemed amazing, almost unbelievable. All the while I thought I was gonna be forced into the corner of darkness, where I lay miserably lonesome. Primary was nothing like this, they embraced me warmly and almost shed every sorrow that remained after I left Ignacia.

In the first day of High School, I would think that this is nothing like primary. Now, there might have a resemblance.


	4. Crazy coincidences

**I don't think you guys would actually likes this chappie. :I It's a lil too short. But I'm running out of ideas, and I have freaking four topical tests and a spelling crammed into a week. My freaking summer isn't over till a few weeks. ;-;**

* * *

I waited outside the Physics class the next day, my hands firmly on the Physics notebooks that I copied with rapt attention, that was sticking out papers and stickies that were hanging out, dangerously close to fluttering down and being crashed over by the sea of footsteps. My eyes eagerly swept across the lake of people that were coated with that merry atmosphere of chattering and thrill about the third day of high school with both new friends and the friends from middle school.

"Hi there!" A pair of hands landed sharply on my shoulder so hard my heart almost exploded, and my eyes went wide open as I turned around, turning face to face with a feminine egg shaped face. The hazel gold color eyes almost glowed, filled with glee and cheer. When I backed to take a better look, she had a pointed nose, thin lips, her hair blonde as is of a gold plate, gold and straight. She was a shy beauty, and her smile made me influenced a curve on my lips too.

"I'm Bella." She tilted her head to the right a little, and Megan came, laughing. "We were classmates from Avani Middle School." The redhead explained, and the blonde giggled. "So you're Erica."

"Yes." I nodded simply.

"I've heard some from you from Megan yesterday. You have nice hair." She look a quick scan of my raven black hair, grinning. "Did you dye or do anything to it?"

"No, I got it from birth." Honestly, this black hair thing was a mystery to me. My dad had hazel hair because he went into the sun a lot of times, and my mom was blonde, like Bella, because she's a Caribbean. I don't think there was any gene of black hair in any of them, which was weird.

"That's a really nice gift. I had to spray and get professions to moisturize my hair." She told it to herself aloud, stroking that hair of hers. "It's nice, I like it." I complimented, and she smiled. "This came with a price. Yours didn't require anything at all." She shot another look at my hair, a speck of admiration dotting her eyes. I smiled.

Megan looked back. "Where's Rachel?" She mumbled under her breath, and I looked over for a while, and after a few minutes, a dark haired brunette popped out of the sea of people like a bee emerging from a grass of glowers. I looked at the girl as she surfaced to a visible state, and she shoved herself out of the crowd, smiling.

"Sorry, Miss Donsely was dragging the god darn time." She pressed out a smile, and Megan laughed. "Oh my gosh, you had her class already?"

"Yes. Oh my god, it's the worst class I've attended in my whole life." The girl, most probably which was Rachel, pressed her head to her hands.

"High school just started." I stated, and she moaned, "You're right, but still... brmph."

"What does she teach?" Bella widened her eyes. "I'm really certain that I haven't had biology and geography..."

"Geography. Good luck with that wrath of the oversized globe, girl." She rolled her eyes. "I had barely survived it."

"Geography's not really bad. But I didn't have the class yet, so..." I imagined how stuck I would be if the time will drag, and I shuddered. "I can't say anything that would be a fact." Rachel looked at me for a awkward, brief moment, before letting the frown flatten to a grin. "Yeah."

Megan tugged my jersey lightly. "Rachel, Erica. Erica, Rachel." She introduced, letting us lock eye contact, and offering each other looks of friendliness and a first step to friendship. As I examined her carefully, I noticed she look pretty native. Her hair was worse than Megan's, dark and curly in a mess, her fringe being pulled back by a yellow band, although some of them still lingered in front of her eyes. She wore a red high collared shirt that looked very comfortably knitted, with the aboriginal patterns on her chest and bodice. She wore a baggy DJ dancing pants, and then slippers. Her emerald eyes reminded me of my mom, and her face was covered with freckles, unlike Megan.

My heart warmed, and she lunged forward, offering a bear hug which almost crushed every single bones in my body and my lungs started screaming for air, then my teeth started to grit

"Hey there, Erica. You have a nice name." She said, and finally pulled back. I grinned, gulping back deep breaths of air to restore my consciousness. "You too."

"C'mon, we have to eat too, right? Don't just stand there smiling at each other, dummies." Megan smirked, and grabbed my wrist and pulled me to the emptying corridor, to the cafeteria. I laughed too, the feeling that had destroyed the cobweb of ages for not doing this. This feeling was so rare to me now since five years old, where the laughter rang with only pure happiness.

* * *

_Four months later_

I sighed as my phone let out a glitchy cry, a signal that it refuses to let it's system boot again. The invincible Nokia finally rose its white flag. Well, at least I get to have another excuse added to my long, long list to convince my mom to buy me a new one, not a hand-me-downs. Slapping my Physics notebook down, I grabbed my cup of Starbucks and took a small sip, attempting to cool my spirits. But there was still a tiny part of me slobbering on the bed, complaining 'Great, now I have to wait for forty five minutes for my dad again.'

The first term exam was coming, and me and Megan had scheduled to study together to mow over the fears to fail in that exam while drinking coffee smack in the afternoon. We force the words and digrams burn into our memory, and finally when we flipped over the final page of the thick notebook, we whooped with joy, and after fifteen minutes, Megan was pulled back home by her parent's Prius.

I sighed, slumping back into my seat, and looked around the protective walls of the city that loomed over me. The busy street of towering skyscrapers stabbed the clouds, the sky a brilliant blue, flocks of birds swooping around, playing with itself in the bosom of the winds, appearing as black dots in the sky. Transportation swept around in a whiz like comets, generating polluted noises and sharp shrills of horns piercing my ears.

The breeze played on my cheeks, a hand stretching out to play with my hair. I breathed a sigh once again, and place my chin on the table, closing my eyes to let the time pass as it should.

I flipped around the pages of my notebook for a quick revision, then I opened my phone interior core, fiddling and finding the problem for fun.

My soul was so devoted into the labyrinths of circuits and electrical cores, a single touch can make me scream and tear my soul from the concentration, maybe flinging it over. My dainty fingers acted as my screwdrivers and as I scanned through the small plate of green and red wires, twisting wires and slowly analyzing stuff. Before I knew it, I actually got to find the actual problem, which was one of the big fat red wires connected to a core being jammed by a chip of rock. The feeling of achievement washed over me as I pictured a big smile, right before a liquid spilled over it.

I looked up, although instead of being hysterical and screaming and running around, I felt like my greatest piece of work just got thrown into the ocean to be a roomie with Titanic. I tried by best to hide my rage, and saw that the person who was most likely that threw over the cup of coffee was walking away, a girl in a chinese cheongsam designed into a shirt side by side to a young man in black sweats with wavy black hair that poked out like a durian.

The weird thing was, both of them look familiar, and there was a heavy stomp on my memory, but I couldn't get a real grasp on the real image. The girl spared a look back, so I only saw half of her face, and she quickly turned back, forcing the guy with him to halt.

The conversation in whispers made me turn awkward and somehow guilty.

"You just spilled someone's cup!"

"So?"

"Apologize!"

"Okay! Okay, Sheesh!"

The man turned around, and I found myself looking at a guy with a crop of copper hair and athletic build wearing blue sweats, his hands streaked with a masculine look, had been tucked into the pockets. One of his brows had somehow got scarred, which made me rose a eyebrow.

"Sorry for spilling you drink... ehehe-" He chucked awkwardly, sparing a look at the mess me made. I looked down, and back at him. "It's okay." I mumbled simply, and he nodded, before hastily turning his head back and the couple resumed their walk. I looked down back at my destroyed phone, silencing that annoying feeling of the urge to chase them.

* * *

Nya shook her head as her boyfriend shot her a sheepish smile. "You really should be careful next time, Jay. You know that Starbucks cost a ton."

The brunette shook his head, pressing his fingers on his forehead. "Yeah, I know, and it spilled her phone."

"Jay!"

"What? It was a Nokia phone! I just did a girl a favor and gave that girl a opportunity to make her parents buy another one!" The ninja of lightning threw his hands up. "Besides, I wasn't doing that on purpose..." He grumbled and slid his hands across his chest. "But there's something about the girl that made me... remind of something..."

"What is it?" Nya's brows furrowed as she looked at Jay. "You told me something about a girl a few months ago, right?"

"Yeah, Erica." The Samurai lowered her head as she spoke quietly, the memories that came like a wave of needles pierced her heart again. Erica was a blade of a sword she couldn't pull off her soul- ever since her parents dragged her away and she had to stay smiling, which hurt so badly, to let her little sister leave her and get a better chance for her life. It was for the best, and she had no choice.

When she looked up, Jay was scratching his head. "Um, there was that black hair and blue eyes..." The ninja hesitated to expose more information, and grumbled as he clearly sees that picture of the girl being messed up by the naught of frustration. "Wait, I think there's a lot of people out there who has that kind of eyes. Fine, there's a lot of people out there who looks like how you describe Erica."

"What were you thinking?" Nya sighed, her soul still heavy from that painful aftermath of the departure a few years ago.

"That girl... she has the same hair and same eyes as Erica... I think."

Nya just looked at Jay with widened eyes and revived spirits, but the ninja wasn't in the mood of investigating. "C'mon, I have to meet sensei already, and, like I told you, there's so many people out there with black hair, vampire skin and sky blue eyes. Hey, how about a night at the Japanese sushi restaurant later?"


	5. Return of the Serpentine

**... I'm sorry. **

* * *

Far below where the city of Ninjago lays, spiraling down deeper than where the bravest men seeks to dig through the layers of earth, there rests the Serpentine, sealed safely from harm's way. The pride's leader, the king of the sacred species, lay at the biggest chamber underground, slithering to and fro with his long tail sweeping the ground silently. His ruby eyes glowed at its hypotizing light, that power that dwells within, the ability to lure a mortal's eyes to its will.

"My king, there is none of the need to be in such a haste. The sun solistice will be here soon, and we will all be thrown to the world of freedom." A serpentine stood by, its green scales glittered from the weak rays of sunlight that managed to stretch this far into the earth. His expression was unreadable, with the scaly features shaping it to a impossible degree to find what the advisor was thinking about.

The word freedom dagger a heavy blow on his chest, and the hunger rose, rising to his throat. Skales took a violent gasp of the humid air, before puffing it out, slowly. Then he turned to the advisor. "Open the door. Let me to my people."

The advisor bowed briefly. "Absolutely, my king." With that, he scurried out of the chamber, the shoutings of orders distantly being echoed off into the high ceiling. Soon, Skales heard the sound of a heavy entrance door being made of bits of rusted iron being lifted, before he smiled, and slithered into the hole that was the sole entrance and exit to the throne room.

As he advanced, the chorus of the cheering grew from distant to ear-deafening, which made a smile crept up his scaly blue lips. Where the cheerings are, there will be his army. He will be the head of the key, they will be the blade. Together, they will rise again, from the mistakes and foolish attempts, to the steps of being invincibly powerful once again.

When he reached the balcony, he was welcomed with another roar of deafening cheer, the eager waves of brutal clangs of weapons, punches to the wall. The smile of his turned into a grin. A sea of serpentine, dots of orange, brown, white, red, blue, green shaded the whole bare stony ground, fists raised to midair and shaking, the hunger for violence intercepted into words.

In front of him, at the bosom of the whole area, a circle plate the size of five serpentine lying head to head laid, its edge almost covered with the weak sunlight. On it were cravings of ancient serpentine words, tipping the edge of the plate, and etched with the theme color of each serpentine tribes.

As the prophecy stated, four heads of four serpentine of each tribe sat on a edge, behind them the staffs stabbed to the slots given. They didn't seem moved by this, the fact of one of their brothers killed. All they were obsessed with getting out of the hell hole.

Once the sunlight have completely covered the plate, the key to freedom will rise. Skales turned back. his forked tongue flickering back and forth at the other tribe leaders. "This is finally happening." He hissed. "Well, thank you all for helping me for finding the Sacred Key. It's such a big... help for us." He bowed his head, which gathered suspicion from the other leaders.

Skaliador gripped his scaly fists, pulsing with immortal strength. "You don't have any more plans hiding from us, am I right?"

"Yes, yes, certainly." His foxy voice didn't help them at all. "Why should I sabotage you while all of us should in a part a world domination, erasing this stupid generation of mortal mundane from this beautiful planet."

The other leaders were in all of the eager to speak, but before they can open their mouths, a dagger of cheers erupted from the room, even more shrill and louder than usual. Skales turned back, grinning as they saw the sunlight fully overwhelming the dullness of the rusted plate. When the plate itself begin to hum as the light reflected begin to intensify, it slowly hushed the audience.

The plate started to rise, spewing dust everywhere, but it was no longer of a shape of a flat object. A pillar followed trailed along as if it was invisibly bounded, entwined with a flight of stairs. The crowd murmured in wonder, as it slowly reached to the small hole atop that let the sunlight leak, then stopped.

"My army, may I present you, the path of freedom!"

I looked up, bored for the third time for the day.

The sky was a shade of the night, the eerie dark sapphire coat of blue swept through the sky after that brief evening purple. Stars surfaced from the daylight, twinkling as softly as ever like diamonds in the sky, accompanied with the moon that hung at the bosom of the sky, as round as a pearl.

It as been the third day since I got that weirdly familiar hit with that woman and the stranger brunette. It was as if I had been hit by a gong, and it didn't sound in my ears until a few seconds. I blinked, and stared into the calm surface of my chamomile tea my mom brewed with burning irritation. Who is she? Why is she so familiar? Why?

Then that part of my mind clanged me with irritation as well, telling me and screaming to me that I should remember her. I banished it away, since it didn't give anything but irritation. Finally I just took a deep breath, chucked the liquid and let it flow down my throat, then collasp to the wall.

Before my feelings could get more and more messed up, a knock came rapping up into my door, prying the deep concentration between my soul, my feelings and me. I looked up to see my mom's damp shaggy hair dangling around her head like a ghost as she peeked into my room.

"Dear, can you help me get some shampoo? We're running out."

Mom. Elina Jones, wife to Arthur Xeathene. She was the happiest to go, and came in and settled into the city the quickest, like a chameleon.

"Where's Pa?"

"he's still not back from work."

I hesitated, and finally dragged myself to my feet. "Yeap, yeap, okay, I'll go."

I can't see anything under that canopy of hair of my mom's, but she at least nodded. "Yeap, be safe."

My bike, shiny and red, lay resting on the wall of the car park, securely locked and chained. It was a birthday present from my cousin nearby this city, but he was more than reluctant to let it go. I had to smile at that childish and immature moment of that as I caressed the black handle of it.

Once I mounted it, I flicked open the lights and sped down the alley.

The eeriness of the night mocked me mildly the moment I entered the quiet street. Occasionally sounds of crickets will pierce the silence, occasionally a sound of a can or a bulky leap of something will make my heart leap. I let my bike lead me to the central street, as fast as possible, before something leaps up and gets me and freaks my mom out.

Soon, I reached to the lighted barriers of the central streets, where the activity of the night was still buzzing along, the last chokes of merriness before it falls to slumber. I scanned my surroundings until I spotted the familiar board of the shop, lined with neon pink and blue, that weird sign for a cosmetic shop.

Just when I was about to get into the shop, a scream exploded into the city, laying down a hush to all the movements at the night. Suddenly everything went still, the jam beside the road, once filled with jammings of horns, quieted. Everyone stopped on their tracks to look where the scream came from.

I turned back, my heart frozen in time, till there was a deafening crash that smashed the stillness.

A truck, a massive truck, so huge it could easily contain four family cars in its cargo pack, crash into sight, tossing tiny cars and people around. The walls were painted green and even glittered a little like scales, the top of it were lined with purple bumps and the front, instead of two yellow lights, were two, creepy eyes with vertical slits.

The Serpentine.

The disaster lay not very near from me, but it did struck fear into my heart as my grip trembled beneath the handle. My first instinct was to scream and run into the shop and pray this shop is reeking out of too much perfume for the monsters of the reptiles to go in. The urge was tempting, but my legs refused to move, frozen to place and foolishly waiting for death to tumble in.

Slowly, reptilian people started flooding out of the driver's seat, plopping into the ground and chaos got unleashed once again.

Bewilderment and more fear leadened my heart as its beat quickened like lightning. This is impossible. They're dead. They're banished from this place to the land of earth and never expected to emerge again. Yet, this souls of venom had came back.

What happened?

When I saw one of the green scaled monsters coming for me, hands stretched like it was gonna give me a hug, his forked tongue flicking back and forth. Before I can run, its sickly green smog emitted from his jaw reached me, and my consciousness finally slipped.


End file.
